In our talk with LeBron designer Jason Petrie, the man stressed again and again the importance of using the sneaker and its different releases to communicate a clear story. The drops we’ve seen for LeBron’s ninth have achieved that so far, and the ‘Christmas Day’colorway arriving soon definitely does that as well. Hopefully capturing some of the elation brought about by the return of the NBA in the heart of the holiday season, this Christmas release has held the attention of many despite fierce competition from other big-time drops in the month of December. Follow us after the jump for more images of LeBron’s piece of the upcoming Christmas Pack 2011 from Nike Basketball, and let us know in the comments if these are on your wish list. via RMK

Nike LeBron 9
Sport Red/Reflective Silver-White-Lucky Green
469764-602
12/25/11
$170

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Following the killer string of OG styled Air Max 90′s coming down the pipeline, Nike Sportswear has a pair here that switches up the ingredients a bit. Gone are the beloved mesh sections that usually hit on the toebox and ankle area, replaced with a smooth leather instead. In contrast with that is the tumbled treatment for the leather on the neutral gray paneling on the uppers, giving them a bit of diversity material wise. These also end up quite a bit darker than the Nike Air Max 90 fare we’ve been treated to as of late, with no fluorescent color pops-just the dark team red that gives them a brick house look. Peep the full images after the jump and grab this pair now from Concepts in Boston or get them now on eBay.

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With the Air Jordan XI ‘Concord’ releasing later this week, you can expect to see a slew of related shirts and apparel capitalizing on the popular Concord theme to create some matching gear. Vandal-A can always be counted on for their clever and classy sneaker-inspired t-shirts, but their Concord offering stands apart from the rest thanks to its use of a no-brainer tie-in to take things to the next level. For their latest creation, Vandal-A combines quite possibly the two coolest things to ever sport a white/black color scheme into one slick package.  The shirts, available in white, black and purple, feature a trio of armed Stormtroopers looking extra fresh and ready for galactic battle in their 2011 Concords. Check out some more pics after the jump and you can find these, along with a Tinker Air Jordan XI sketch shirt, available now at Vandal-A.

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Of all the Nike Air Force 1 iterations we see, the mid version is certainly the one that pops up the least often. As a result it’s even less often that we see any kind of special release for the mids, although we were recently treated to a ‘Tec Tuff’ version of these strapped Uptowns. Following that tanked out pair is another that adds to the workwear/sneaker hybrid craze, this grey and white combo that boasts boot laces and hexagonal metal eyelets. Stick with us after the jump to get an in-depth look at this sturdy pair of Forces and let us know if they are on your radar. You can pick them up from mita sneakers in Japan now, or stick with us for info on a US release date.

Nike Air Force 1 Mid Premium
Grey/White
487991-001

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Dwayne Wade will break out the Jordan Fly Wade 2 on Christmas Day in an all-red getup that adds green laces to commemorate the holidays, but what he be wearing for the rest of the shortened NBA regular season. Models like this pair in white, black and Varsity Red are likely to make up the bulk of his go-to rotation as we move into 2012, this particular edition shaping up to be a ‘home’ look for games at Miami’s American Airlines Arena. The ‘away’ pair already hit retailers and plenty more are still to come, but we’ve yet to get any evidence of an ‘off-color’ look like the ‘South Beach’ palette that made its way to the original Fly Wade; what else should we expect from the Fly Wade 2 moving forward? Click through for a closer look at this pair, let us know how they rank against the rest and stick with Sneaker News for the US release date. via Washinsp

Jordan Fly Wade 2
White/Black-Varsity Red
479976-101

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The folks at Nike Sportswear has a lot lined up for us in regards to Nike Basketball Retro releases. The upcoming ‘USAB Pack‘ and ‘Volt Pack’ incited a lot of enthusiasm for these older classics, but don’t forget the Nike Air Max Tempo – arguably one of the most popular Max-cushioned basketball joints of the 90′s. While the Tempo has re-released in several colorways throughout the last decade, we haven’t seen this OG version – the White/Black upper with the dazzling teal Max Air unit. After confirming the release of this colorway back in June as a Spring 2012 release, it looks like Nike has jumped the gun just a bit and made these a late December drop. Nikestore is the place to get ‘em right now, so if you’ve got some emergency sneaker funds, make these a last-minute pick-up!

Nike Air Max Tempo
White/White-Black-Mystic Teal
311090-100
$160

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Credit the massive success of the Nike Air Griffey line for Nike’s decision to bring back other baseball-centric Nike Trainers. Would the Nomo series have re-released on its own? That’s hard to tell, but we can all agree that it was brought back just at the right time, and the return of the OG White/Obsidian/Red colorway – one that have all been waiting for – should validate Nike’s decision to revive Nomo’s name in the sneaker game. Sneaker News first showed you this upcoming Nike Retro release at the end of November, and this new set of images of the Air Max NM we’re showing you today should coerce a repeat performance of positive comments from our readers. Must-have for you? Stick with Sneaker News for release information and let us know what your thoughts are in the comments section below. via in52.

Nike Air Max NM
429749-165

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Quick — which of your friends has the most unique and appealing smartphone case?  Chances are, you can pick a winner instantly, because even as many handsets as are on the market these days, the ability to personalize and protect your phone with a case is what makes even the most popular lineup-impetus stand out.  So when rumors of a Vans Waffle Sole case for the iPhone 4 started to circulate, you can only imagine how many Cali-styled skate sneakerheads were thrilled at the chance to eschew black or white for gum.  This new set of images suggests that they’re a bit wider-spread than previously thought, and offer a strong suggestion that this product will in fact make it to retail sometime soon.  Click through to see more angles, and let us know which sneaker’s traction pattern or signature texture you’d most like to see wrapped around your digital life.  via Complex

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MMG representative Wale recently performed live at the Best Buy theater in New York City to help celebrate the One Year Anniversary of The Power 105.1 ‘Breakfast Club’. Wale, who has displayed quite the affinity for Nike LeBrons (PEs, for that matter), stunned the crowd by rocking the Nike LeBron 8 ‘James Dean’, or better known as the ‘Denim’ sample that surfaced some time ago. The James Dean-inspired samples were actually designed by fellow Nike LeBron aficionado DJ Clark Kent, who not only boasts quite the LeBron collection himself, but gets to color-coordinate a few pairs himself. Check out Wale and his LeBron after the jump and let us know what your favorite ‘unreleased’ Nike LeBron is. via alleyesonwho.

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If New York can claim that green and orange is a ‘Christmas’ colorway, then can this mix of University Blue and Vivid Orange be a Knicks PE? That’s an item that might have been up for discussion, had Jordan Brand not just issued a two-pack of Jordan Spiz’ikes suitable for Spike Lee’s courtside attire at MSG. But in the wake of that dual drop, these are left to shine on their own merits, and that’s a feat for which they’ve come well equipped. The patent leather mudguard on this pair offers a wild textural contast next to heel and toe Elephant print, and the range of soft blue tones makes for a look akin to a sunny day at a pristine beach. Click through to see more angles on the latest Spizike colorup and stick with Sneaker News for their US release date. via Kicks-crew

Jordan Spiz’ike
University Blue/White-Italy Blue-Vivid Orange
315371-415

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It took a while for us to finally see proof of the inevitable when the Nike Zoom Rookie LWP only recently showed up for previews in its ‘blackout’ edition, but maybe that’s because Nike Sportswear wanted to take care of all the other basics first. We got a couple of blue pairs referencing Penny Hardaway’s brilliant mid-’90s stint with the Orlando Magic and a couple white/black designs including one glow-in-the-dark Halloween release. This, then, is the ‘other’ white and black Zoom Rookie, a pair that rounds out the 2011 releases with a crisp high contrast look that could have been a perfect thematic expression of either equinox. Instead, we get them on the winter solstice one year before the world’s supposed to end, which is probably best since you’ll have a bit of extra time to rock the full range of adult sizes from NikeStore or get your pair on eBay.

Nike Zoom Rookie LWP
White/Black
472688-100

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The most recent Nike Air Force 1 Bespoke we profiled here on Sneaker News featured the same kind of metallic/iridescent black patent leather we’ve seen on a couple of other recent pairs.  It’s the kind of exclusive material that gives off a luxury vibe, but you could argue that those have nothing on these new pairs when it comes to reflecting abundance.  The Air Force 1 Bespoke in Vachetta leather will be a special release exclusive to Nike Sportswear’s 21 Mercer flagship store in New York featuring deconstructed ‘no-liner’ builds, leather laces and midsoles and two rather fetching shades of brown and tan.  Will these be the only two colors available from a service typically known for its expansive range of options?  Vachetta is generally ‘untreated’, so it’s likely the answer leans toward yes, but there’s at least one ‘extra’ brown shade for the midsoles, and maybe we’ll even start seeing these with little bits of cork or digi-camo mixed in?  Click through for a look at these ultra-premium AF1 Lows and let us know if these’ll have you setting up an appointment for the Nike Air Force 1 Bespoke experience.  via NIKEiD

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